Showing results for "The Food" in Civilisation

Why did humans abandon hunting and gathering for sedentary communities dependent on livestock and cereal grains and governed by precursors of today's states? Most people believe that plant and animal domestication allowed humans, finally, to settle down and form agricultural villages, towns, and states, which made possible civilization, law, public order, and a presumably secure way of living. But archaeological and historical evidence challenges this narrative.

What determines what we eat today? Who decides what ends up on our dinner tables tomorrow? And what are the real origins of our favorite foods? Tom Hillenbrand takes readers on a fast-paced journey through the culinary history of the world—from the campfires of many thousands of years ago to the invention of corn to the hamburgers of the future. Filled with astonishing insights and surprising connections, Hillenbrand's essay is a highly entertaining and thought-provoking portrayal of what lies behind the food we consume every day.

A Foundational Conservation Story Revived. Ancient writers observed that forests always recede as civilizations develop and grow. The great Roman poet Ovid wrote that before civilization began, “even the pine tree stood on its own very hills” but when civilization took over, “the mountain...

‘James Crowden is Britain’s best cider writer … Cider Country is the book we’ve all been waiting for.’ Oz Clarke Join James Crowden as he embarks on a journey to distil the ancient origins of cider, uncovering a rich culture and philosophy that has united farmer, maker and drinker for...

In this insightful book, an underwater archaeologist and survival coach shows how understanding the collapse of civilizations can help us prepare for a troubled future. Pandemic, climate change, or war: our era is ripe with the odor of doomsday. In movies, books, and more, our imaginations run...

When our ancestors came down from the trees, they brought the trees with them and remade the world. ‘A stunning book on the incalculable debt humanity owes wood…’ John Carey, The Sunday Times How did the descendants of small arboreal primates manage to stand on our own two feet, become top...